Blood Before Dishonor: Bonds of Family
by A-Foolish-Dreamer
Summary: Brother and Sister. Siblings of the Uchiha Clan. These born prodigies start to realize the truth of the ninja world and the strength of their bond is pushed to its limits. Rated M for Language and Violence.
1. Prolouge

**Bonds of Family**

**Prologue**

**A/N: **Brother and Sister. Siblings of the Uchiha Clan. These born prodigies start to realize the truth of the ninja world and the strength of their bond is pushed to its limits. Rated M for Language and Violence.

This is my first original story on FanFiction as well as my first collaborative piece of literature.

Co-Author- Diablo's Heir

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. There is no copyright or infringement intended.

I hope you enjoy the story. Thank you and reviews/comments are welcomed.

* * *

The night was calm, however, throughout the forest, below the midnight sky, the clash of kunai with shuriken was well heard along with the screams of the dying. A battle was being waged beneath the canopy of trees that made up the woods along the country border. Six male ninja, shinobi, stood in a circle in the middle of a clearing that lay deep in this dense forest. Sweat dripped from beneath their Kirigakure headbands as weapons trembled in their hands.

"Did anyone see where the enemy went?!" one of the Kirigakure ninja, cried out. "They move like shadows! There must be at least 10 of them; they took out our entire squad!" His comrade looked around nervously as he spoke.  
"Jakotsu, quiet you fool; you'll give away our position with your racket." Barked an older looking man, who was obviously the leader of the remaining squad members. "Keep your shit together and we'll gain the upper hand." He continued as he scanned the surrounding area with fear in his eyes. The moonlight above was bright and cast shadows upon the ground. He hoped to catch even a glimpse of the squad that had been pursuing his men for hours.  
Suddenly from the shadow of nearby trees two figures appeared, walking slowly and steadily toward the group of ninja. From the twelve' o clock point was a boy with short spiky black hair. He wore dark clothing consisting of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt with an Uchiha clan symbol over the left breast underneath a cloak. Strapped to his arms and legs were sleeves of kunai. He stood no more than three feet in height and carried a ninjato in his left hand, while his right held a fistful of shuriken. To the ninja who watched him approach he appeared to be just a child no more than five or six.

From their six' o clock position a girl walked with long straight black hair. She was older than the young male but not by much from what the men could see as she passed under the pale moonlight. She stood only a few inches taller than the boy and was dressed in a midnight blue qipao dress. In her hand she held what appeared to be a custom katana with the Uchiha insignia engraved into the hilt. The sword was almost as big as her. As a cloud passed overhead and blocked out the moon all the men could see through the pitch black darkness of the night was the piercing gaze of her blood red eyes devoid of all emotion save one, bloodlust.

"They are only children?" Jakotsu, the man who had been making noise before gasped aloud relief filling his voice. His comrades however seemed to look rather confused and worried. "This is bullshit there is no way we have been getting slaughtered by these two kids ,right Manju. It's just not possible." He continued raising his spear. The leader, Manju raised his kunai and narrowed his eyes as confidence flooded his body. The others followed suit after seeing their leader prepare his weapon and now held their weapons with more confidence as their enemy had revealed themselves. "Let's take them down, even if they are kids they still need to die!" Manju ordered.

The girl smiled with a devilish grin before quickly performing several hand signs and creating a stream of fire from her mouth that surrounded the six men. "Fire Style: Running Flames Jutsu" In an instant their vision was obscured by the roaring fire and thick obsidian smoke. The two figures disappeared from their sight and caused the fear that had left them to instantly return.

"Stand fast men, they're just trying to rattle us. Do not break forma-" Manju's words were cut off as two wolves made entirely from electrical energy burst from the flames and took him down along with another one of the men. "Lightning Style: Raging Beast Jutsu." Mere seconds after the remaining four saw their leader and teammate fall the young male appeared underneath another one of them dragging him underground. "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu".  
As the flames cleared around them the men realized there were now only three of them remaining. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? QUICKLY GET INTO A THREE MAN FORMATION!" one of them cried out. The three of them quickly put their backs together and formed a circle before performing several hand-signs in perfect unison. "Ninja Art: Hidden in the Mist Jutsu" The surrounding area soon became dense with fog. One of the men breathed a small sigh of relief as the mist shrouded them. "This is perfect. There is no way they cou-".

The sound of bird wings filled the air as if a flock of them had started flying away at once and before he could finish his sentence the shinobi was impaled by that hand of the small child. The boy's hand was surrounded with lightning, but instead of a brilliant white or blue it was an ecstatic black and danced around his palm. "Flapping Chidori". The older ninja coughed up blood and looked down in horror at the boy who had killed him. "Ju-Just who are you…" he muttered before the life left his body causing it to slump.

The young shinobi ripped his arm out and let the body fall. Shaking blood and entrails from his arm and hand he turned to look at the two remaining targets who were merely shaking. The heavy mist which had been summoned was parted and blown away as the kunoichi approached and stood beside her partner. The boy smirked in a manner that was eerily similar to the girls from earlier and closed his eyes.  
Simultaneously opening their eyes the two young Uchiha revealed crimson-colored irises to their victims. The boy with three tomoe in both eyes, proof of his mastery; and the girl with a two tomoe in both of hers stared down at the terrified men with satisfied grins on their faces. It was a gaze that pierced the very soul of the two men standing there.

One of them instantly knew. The two children were of Uchiha blood. "Natsumo we need to run. I know who these two are! They're the spawn of the Devil's Flame the two demon children of the Uchiha clan, Ichimaru and Kaname Uchiha!" one of the two remaining men spoke fear lacing his every word.

The two stood unfazed by his statement, but the boy's grin however widened. "Go back and tell your village of us. Tell them if another attack is launched against the Konaha then we will not stop until all of Kirigakure has fallen." The girl known as Kaname had a voice which boomed in the ears of the two ninja. They quickly turned and began to run off.

"Hey, Kaname… how many ninja does it take to deliver a message?" Ichimaru spoke with a smirk as he put his blade on his shoulder. "Only one." Kaname replied and quickly threw a barbed kunai which impaled one of the Kirigakure ninja, the one named Natsumo, in the back of the neck. The Uchiha siblings watched as he fell from the tree limb he had been on into the bushes below and turned away sharply.

"Another successful mission, onee-sama. Come on lets go back and make the report." Ichimaru stated sheathing his ninjato beneath his cloak. Kaname looked up at the moon as the clouds passed by the reveal its golden pale light. Finally the second tomoe in her eye had finally awoken.


	2. Chapter 1

**Bonds of Family**

**Chapter 1: Two Years Later**

_Konohagakure, Hokage Tower_

The bright sun light illuminated the sky and shown downwards through the open window "Kaname! Ichimaru! Get your asses in here!" A voice booms coming from the office of the Hokage. Soon after being called two figures walked into the room; one male and one female. They stood at almost equal height and were dressed in similar attire.

The male was almost four feet tall with short spikey hair. He wore a Hitai-ate with the Leaf Village symbol proudly around his neck. The young shinobi was none other than Ichimaru Uchiha. He was dressed in black sandals, black shorts that came to his knees, and a dark navy blue high-collared shirt with the left sleeve longer than the right.

Ichimaru's right arm from his fingers all the way up was bound in what looked like bandages. On the cloth were multiple kanji in the form of a seal. Strapped to the back of his waist was double sheath that housed both of his ninjato as well as the pouch of various ninja tools on the back of his waist. Strapped to his left leg was a triple sleeved kunai holder. The young shinobi was armed and ready for combat at a moment's notice.

The kunoichi who had entered with him was Kaname Uchiha, his older sister. She wore blue sandals, a sleeveless mid-cut dark navy blue shirt underneath an open dark-green flak jacket, and matching dark blue short shorts that came well above her mid-thigh. Bandages were wrapped around the upper portion of her chest and a few could be seen from beneath her shirt. Above her waist on the right side a triple tomoe design was clearly visible. On both her forearms she wore metal plated armour. Her hair was long and less spikey than her brothers. She wore her Hitai-ate in her hair which prevented it from obscuring her vision.

Strapped across her back was her custom katana blade. She had the blade reformed over the years making it almost half a foot longer than its original length. The leather strap crossed over her chest and attached to her belt. On the left side of her waist was a slightly bigger pouch than her brothers which she used to hold essentials from medical tools to traps and projectiles. Strapped to her right thigh was her kunai holster. It housed six of the razor sharp knives that could function as projectiles or melee weapons.

As they came further into the room Kaname quietly took a seat in front of the Hokage while Ichimaru leaned against the door of the office. Sitting behind the Hokage desk was a man with spiky yellow hair and bright cerulean eyes similar to the color of the sky. His distinct whisker markings on his cheek twitched as he began to speak. "How many times must you two be told that when going on team missions that the best chance of survival is to stick with your team?! You both act like you are invincible because of your heritage, but even you two can be killed."

Ichimaru chuckled softly and closed his eyes with a smile. "Well, it hasn't happened yet." He commented slyly underneath his breath assuming it wouldn't be caught but it is instantly noticed by both his sister and the Hokage. "Lord Hokage, please excuse my younger brothers outburst. I will be sure to make sure that this doesn't happen again." Kaname spoke sharply and with confidence before she glared at Ichimaru from the corner of her eyes.

"Very well see to it." Naruto stated before sitting back in his chair and placing his feet up on the table. "You guys sure know how to make this job a lot harder for me don't you." A smile brakes out from his face as he leans back leisurely. "Now then the real reason I called you in was because there happens to be another mission, S rank with a standard four man team. I want Kaname to lead this one and this time I will allow you to pick the other two companions."

Kaname looked at the Hokage whom was really like an uncle to her and raised her eyebrow slightly. "You mean I can pick anyone I want to accompany us?" She asked, mostly for clarification but her eager expression as she stood waiting the response gave away her true intention. Usually Naruto would assign teams for the siblings to accompany because of their prodigious skill set. This was the first time Kaname would lead let alone get to pick who she and her brother would work with. "Yes of course as long as they are of jounin rank or higher, then the choice is yours. This is an S Rank mission so choose wisely." Naruto replied with a slightly more serious tone in his voice.

Ichimaru walked up to the desk from his position by the door and picked up the folders that contained all the relevant documents and information for possible companions. "So Lord Hokage, what exactly is the mission and when do we leave?" He inquired while thumbing through the list before handing Kaname possible recruits.

"Well, it would seem as if some rouge ninja are attempting to attack Konohagakure. The intel we've acquired shows that they are from various smaller villages but a majority seem to come from the Land of Stone. They have set up a base of operations on the outskirts of Land of Fire borders. Your mission will be to infiltrate the base, collect intel on their objective, and annihilate them after you have gathered their intel. They are high ranking shinobi. If possible take one alive for interrogation otherwise use extreme prejudice" Naruto instructed while simultaneously placing a scroll containing the mission details on the table and sliding it across towards Kaname. "You have three days to get prepared before you must depart."

"We have never taken hostages before, what makes this mission so different?" Kaname asked while picking up the scroll and the pictures of the recruits. "Knowledge is power Kaname and if we can get information from this group then we can be better prepared for anything that might come next." Naruto replied. Kaname thought about the Hokage's words before motioning her brother. "Come on Ichimaru, let's go." The two Uchiha siblings began to make their way towards the door until they are stopped again by Naruto's voice. "Good luck you two, remember to choose wisely." The words echo through both of their ears as they exit the room.

Exiting the tower Ichimaru looked over to his sister with a slightly bored expression as he places his hands behind his head. "Onee-chan was it just me or did he seem worried about us?" Ichimaru calmly states to his sister. "Yea I could hear it in his voice as well. Granted our last S rank mission wasn't completed as well as it should have been. Although at this moment it doesn't matter, right now; we have to get ready to depart." Kaname replied as she jumps onto the roof of a nearby building and begins to traverse towards their home.

"Why do you have members of the Aburame Clan on the list? Their jutsu isn't compatible with ours in anyway at all. They would only slow us down or get in the way." Kaname stated as she looked through the files her brother had presented to her. "I figured we could make use of their chakra and sensory jamming insects. It would at least make things easier for us when gathering intel. They would serve as great support with their insect. The best interest for us is to choose partners that won't get in our way but can still provide excellent support." Ichimaru spoke with a strategic prowess beyond his years. "You will also notice that there are a couple high class healing shinobi on the list."

"Yea these are members of the Haruno Clan, as well as the off spring of the Godaime Hokage. Interesting choices. Yes I suppose these will have to do." She makes a Ram hand sign and the pictures turn into smoke and from it two paper birds fly off in two separate directions. "That takes care of that." Suddenly both siblings stopped simultaneously on the roof they had just landed on and looked around. "Hey, Ichimaru can you feel that? He must be nearby." The air felt dense and full of chakra. It was a familiar chakra to them and Ichimaru smirked before changing directions and heading towards the training grounds.

"I had sensed him a while back but that was when we were with Naruto. I didn't think he would purposely reveal himself to us." Ichimaru answered while his pitch black eyes began to scan the area. Kaname followed after her brother and in moments they arrived at one of the designated training ground areas. "We know you are here Sensei there is no use in hiding your chakra now!" Kaname called out as she and her brother got into their fighting stances.

"Very well then" A familiar voice spoke from the bushes and immediately both Uchiha turn to face it. Kaname draws her signature katana from its sheath. She had gotten use to wielding it with ease after intensive training. Ichimaru takes out one of his ninjato and throws several shuriken stars in the direction of the voice. "Too hasty, as always Ichimaru." The voice spoke once more, this time from directly behind Ichimaru.

Ichimaru smirked and turned his head slightly. "Heh, looks like you fell for my trap… Sasuke-Sensei." He stated and pulls a string attached to his index and middle fingers. Sasuke instantly became ensnared in wire, unable to move. While Sasuke was incapacitated Kaname threw three shuriken at him and then began weaving several hand signs causing them to multiply. "Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu." In an instant a plethora of shuriken connect with Sasuke's body. However, it turned out to be a failed attempt when the body turned into smoke and all that was revealed is a log. "Tch, he used a substitution jutsu huh?" Kaname observed as the log falls to the ground, disappointment etched on her face.

Sasuke walked from the bushes calmly wearing a high collared black robe with a distinct Uchiha insignia on the back of it while he wields his very familiar Sword of Kusanagi. He looked at the both of them with his piercing onyx-colored eyes. "You guys didn't really think it would be that easy did you?" He taunted with his trademark smirk while he stood waiting for their next attack.

Ichimaru turned around and stood next to Kaname before activating his Sharingan, three tomoe blazing within. Kaname looked at her brother and nodded; activating her own Sharingan with two tomoe twirling rapidly before settling perpendicular from one another. The wind blew softly across the grass as the two of them stood in front of Sasuke who had yet to activate his Sharingan.

"Fine if you two are going to wait it out then I will make the first move" He spoke and makes the distinct tiger hand sign before inhaling deeply "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu" Sasuke blew out a stream of miniature fireballs at his targets. Moments later he quickly charges his hand with lightning and slams his it to the ground sending a wave of electricity towards the both of them. "Chidori Stream!"

"Ichimaru lets hit him with 'that' combo." Kaname states quickly, giving her brother a slight nod which is returned by Ichimaru. They both quickly make hand signs to counter Sasuke's jutsu. Ichimaru counters the flames by creating a wall made entirely of earth. "Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu". While the wave of electricity came towards them Kaname begins to intercept it inhaling deeply. "Wind Style: Whirlwind Jutsu". The electricity is quickly dissipated as the gust of wind comes into contact with it.

Sasuke, clearly impressed by the display took a moment to comment on their achievement. "Well, well. It seems as though you have improved, you both were accurately able to counter my jutsu without clashing this time. Not only did you manage to protect each other but it would seem as though you work in unison without fail. However you miscalculated one thing… what are you going to do with the explosive tags that were hidden in the flames?"

Surprise graced the Uchiha siblings' faces as, Kaname and Ichimaru looked at the earth wall and saw several shuriken with explosive tags attached explode just at that moment. "Kaname look out!" Ichimaru exclaimed as he tried to track Sasuke's movements through the explosion and notices him about to attack Kaname. Kaname had also caught onto the attack and is barely able to parry Sasuke's attack while flying backwards and skidding across the bit of water in the training area while Ichimaru flies backward into the large rock nearby.

"Now then, let's see how your kenjutsu and taijutsu have been holding up." Sasuke stated casually before rushing towards the kunoichi. Kaname met his charge and began clashing blades with the shinobi atop of the water. Her speed and smaller size made it hard for Sasuke to land a hit on her. Kaname used her advantages and was able to cut Sasuke on his right shoulder with a swift slash upward. "Gotcha!" She exclaimed happily before getting kicked in the stomach.

Ichimaru quickly recovered and sees his sister get kicked backwards. He immediately rushes out to go join her. Pulling out his second ninjato Ichimaru crosses the blades and catches Sasuke's sword between them. Kaname regained her balance and got into her ready stance as Ichimaru pushes Sasuke back to give them some breathing room. The three Uchiha stand looking at each other briefly before the Uchiha siblings launch a rapid barrage of attacks towards Sasuke. Sasuke had prepared for their assault but continues to take minor cuts from barely being able to dodge or parry their attacks. Suddenly the siblings split apart and get on either side of him; looking at each other with a smirk. "You hit em high." "And I'll him em low." The two charged and swung at Sasuke's lower and upper torso.

Sasuke simply stands still as they rush him. Seconds before they are able to connect Sasuke moves and counters Ichimaru's blades with his own, while reaching out and grabbing hold onto Kaname's wrist stopping the blade just a few centimeters from his body. "You almost had me there; you even made me activate my Sharingan." He said to them before releasing Kaname and sheathing his sword. Walking over to the familiar three logs where he once trained with Team 7 Sasuke felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him.

Ichimaru and Kaname released their Sharingan, returning their eyes to a pitch black and walked over to him while sheathing there weapons. "Thank you for spar and lesson Sensei." Kaname and Ichimaru said in unison as they bowed and took a seat next to him. "So how are we improving?" Ichimaru asked eager to hear the response of their mentor. He was always curious to know his progression and how close he was to mastering all of his skills.

"Your hand signs could be faster but your taijutsu and kenjutsu have been increased significantly." Sasuke answered looking at the two of them. He notices a scroll hanging out of Kaname's pouch and raises an inquisitive eyebrow towards her. "So you have another mission?" he asked her.

A surprised look appears on Kaname as she turned towards him and nods slightly. "Yes, this time I will be the squad leader. I get to choose the other two members of the squad." She opened the scroll and began to read over the details of the mission with her brother. "So far we have decided that we will go with a member of the Aburame Clan as well as someone from the Haruno clan or the off spring of Godaime Hokage." Ichimaru stated and hands Sasuke the list of Aburame and Haruno clan members that were being considered.

"Right, I suggest you go with the son of Torune Aburame, Hakoushi. He has mastered his father's Parasitic Destruction Insect Technique. He would work well as a support member." He continued to look at the list. "I know for a fact the Tsunade's son is off on another mission so my suggestion would be Sakura's cousin Kitara. Her healing prowess and technique is extraordinarily high for her age and she is a decent sensory ninja." Sasuke rolls up the list and hands it back to Ichimaru.

Ichimaru and Kaname look at each other and begin nod in agreement with his decisions. "Your counsel is taken in high consideration." Ichimaru states as he puts the information scroll in his back pouch. "We need to get going it's getting late." Kaname stated and tucks the other scroll in the pouch on her leg. Sasuke nodded and sighed. "Hm, they are getting stronger every day. One day they will surpass even me." Sasuke stated to himself as he watched Kaname and Ichimaru walk off toward the Uchiha residence. Looking up he watches as an eagle flies over head carrying a snake in its talons

_Uchiha Residence_

"Are you nervous about the mission?" he asked. Kaname shook her head before stating that she wasn't. "This'll be our first S rank mission since that one time." Ichimaru commented. "I know that and we're more experienced than before. Also I'll be leading this time so we shouldn't have any problems." Kaname answered confidently. Truth be told there was a small amount of concern in the young girl's mind. In the past her brother had always followed her lead and she had, to the most part, followed the lead of the squad leader. Now she would be the squad leader and in charge of not only her life or her brothers but two others.

The two of them quickly took their bath moments later and went back to their rooms to get dressed. Ichimaru wore long pajama pants with a matching short sleeve short while Kaname was in a dark blue nightgown. Making their way to the living room they began preparing a shogi board. "Well then maybe tonight is the night you finally beat me." Kaname stated to Ichimaru.

For as long as he could remember Kaname and Ichimaru had been playing shogi against each other and he was never able to beat his older sister. They understood the game had an ulterior motive which was to teach them how to examine a battlefield and calculate their strengths and weaknesses against and enemies. Sitting down on the other side of the board Kaname looked at her brother and then at the board. "Ladies first," Ichimaru stated with a simple gesture of his hand. Kaname made her first move and the game began.

The game lasted only a few minutes before he was beaten however Ichimaru was not one to quit so easily. They ended up playing several more games each one Ichimaru lost. After the last game both of the Uchiha went to the dining room to eat and together they enjoy shrimp fried rice and miso soup. After dinner the siblings went back to playing a few more games of shogi. After about half a dozen victories Kaname called it quits and told Ichimaru to practice against Shikimaru more often.

"You know one of these days; I'm going to beat you." Ichimaru told his sister as they returned the pieces to their bags and put the shogi board away. Kaname nodded in silent agreement. "We can only get stronger brother." She commented before standing up and heading toward her room. Ichimaru nodded in agreement and trailed behind his sister toward his own room where he quickly feel asleep.

_Konoha Gates, Three days later_

The sun was just starting to rise as a light mist graced the village. It was early morning before a majority of the Konohagakure citizens would awaken. Ichimaru and Kaname waited for the two other members of their team to arrive. Ichimaru however was beginning to grow impatient. "Tsk, I already don't like them. They are keeping me waiting and I am not the most patient person in the world, especially when it comes to a mission." Kaname rolled her eyes at her brother as she crossed her arms. "Patience nii-chan, they should be here momentarily."

Like clockwork two ninja appeared before them. One of them dressed almost fully covered from head to toe with the signature goggles of the Aburame clan to cover his eyes. He wore a hooded jacket with a greenish-gray tint. The other female wearing regular Konohagakure attire with the Haruno symbol on the back of her green vest. She wore her ninja headband on her left thigh. The both looked like they were in their late teens or early twenties. These were two well-seasoned ninja.

"I am Hakoushi Aburame. It will be a pleasure to finally work with the two Uchiha prodigies." He was very well spoken and had a soft voice about him. You could tell he was a man of few words. "Hey, I'm Kitara. I guess this should be a fun mission, this will be my second time working with members of the Uchiha clan so I look forward to the experience." Kitara seemed more lax and laid back. Not as punctual.

Kaname looked at them and nodded after hearing there short introductions. "We will leave immediately. I hoped you read the mission details in the packets that were sent to you. My brother and I like to move fast, now then let's get moving." She stated with a voice full of authority and confidence.


	3. Chapter 2

**Bonds of Family**

**Chapter 2: Nostalgic Winds**

_Konohagakure Hokage Monument_

A light breeze blew over Konaha as the afternoon sun blazed overhead, and carried with it leaves all throughout the village. The leaves had found their way to the Hokage monument where Sasuke sat atop and inhaled deeply. He was in deep thought as a blond haired male joined him. "How is it whenever something is bothering me you always seem to be able to find me here?" Sasuke asked as he laid back and closed his eyes. "That's obvious Sasuke, because we are brothers. I noticed the subtle change in your chakra." Naruto answered and sat next to him to look over the village. "You know you really worry too much Sasuke, they are going to be fine. You raised and trained them well." Naruto said reassuringly looking over at Sasuke and saw his words didn't faze the onyx-eyed shinobi. "I know that Naruto, but I can't shake this feeling of concern. It feels almost nostalgic and ominous."

_Land of Fire borderlands_

As the squad of Konoha ninja proceeded towards their destination various thoughts passed through their minds. Feeling something in the air Kaname came to a stop and quickly held up her fist as she landed on a branch. After seeing her signal Kitara and Hakoushi stopped abruptly while Ichimaru landed on the same branch next to her. "What is it?" He asked her looking around the general area for any disturbances.

Kaname pointed to a rising smoke trail farther off in the distance. She signaled for Kitara and Hakoushi to move up so that she could explain her strategy to them. "Kitara you'll go ahead with Ichimaru and scout ahead using your sensory abilities. Find out how many ninja there are and report back. We are approaching Kusagakure and my guess is that the smoke is coming from across the Kannabi Bridge. If that's the case we are might need to get rid of the scouts before we can proceed. If we can't sneak past them, they will surely alert the others of our arrival."

Ichimaru and Kitara nodded and looked at each other. "Wouldn't it be better if I went with Kitara?" Hakoushi inquired as he turned his head toward Kaname. "After all I could attack from long range with more stealth using my insects. It could make it much easier." Kaname kneeled down and thought for a moment with her eyes closed. "No, Hakoushi I want you to remain with me." She concluded before explaining why. "If my brother and I were left here then an ambush from the enemy would be more successful. Our sensory isn't as high as yours or Kitara's so by the time we knew they were here it would be too late. I want you to set up a wide sensory net around a half mile perimeter with your insects."

Ichimaru looked up at Kitara and signaled that he was ready to leave. "One last thing, both of you should try to use as little chakra as possible if it does come to a fight." Kaname gave orders and led the group as if she had done so many times before. "All right Kaname!" Kitara exclaimed and jumped into the distance with Ichimaru following behind her. "Good luck…" Kaname whispered underneath her breath before turning towards Hakoushi. "We don't know how long they will be gone so keep the perimeter secured at all times." Hakoushi nodded and lifted his arms. Bugs began to fly out of his sleeve and gradually dispersed to cover the area.

Further ahead Ichimaru and Kitara proceeded to their destination leaping from one tree to another. After traveling for almost half an hour Kitara stopped and motioned for Ichimaru to do the same "We are getting close to the smoke Ichimaru. Perhaps from here on it would be best to walk. We could conserve our energy and I can begin to get a read on the enemy." Kitara suggested and dropped from the tree branch she was on towards the ground. Ichimaru silently followed closely behind her. He looked at the kunoichi with and inquisitive expression as they now walked the remainder of the way. "Can you tell how many there are from here?"

She nodded slightly in response as they reached the Kannabe Bridge. "I can sense twelve chakra signatures. But from this distance I can't tell their precise strength; once we get closer I will be able to accurately assess their level of chakra. Based on that information I will tell you if they are high ranked shinobi or not." Ichimaru looked at the kunoichi with surprise. She was even better than the sensor in their last group. Kitara and Ichimaru crossed the bridge and began to mask their chakra as the sun began to set.

Kitara and Ichimaru spent the rest of the day heading towards the location of the smoke stack and reached the group just as nightfall came, blanketing the sky with a dark indigo hue. Closing her eyes Kitara began to focus on the ninja in front of her. "I can sense that two of them seem to have high chakra reserves. They must be at least ANBU level; the other ten seem to all be at jounin levels." She reported to Ichimaru who nodded and drew a kunai. "Heh no problem we will be able to handle this with ease." He stated with a grin. Kitara looked over at the young shinobi and quickly placed her hand on his.

"Are you crazy? We should wait until most of them have fallen asleep to take them by surprise." She chastised Ichimaru. Placing the kunai back in its sleeve Ichimaru sighed and tried to relax. "Sorry I am just a little impatient." Kitara looked at the expression on Ichimaru's face and took a moment to question the shinobi. "Is that what happened in the last S Rank mission you were on?"

Suddenly Ichimaru's eyes glowed crimson red under the moonlight as his Sharingan activated and he glared at Kitara. "Focus on the mission Kitara." The words pierced the kunoichi's ears like a poison tipped dagger. She tried her best not to look away but lost her nerve. "You're right, sorry" she replied almost timidly. Standing up Kitara began to move around the area and scouted the best location to make their ambush.

As a few hours went by most of the rogue forces had fallen asleep aside from the two higher level ones and two jounin level. It would seem as if they were the sentry unit. "Ichimaru, about earlier…I didn't mean anything by it." Kitara whispered to her partner as they prepared their weapons. Ichimaru sighed lightly before responding "It is fine Kitara. It's not that big of a deal anymore, but it's also something I try not to dwell on. You were right in your assumption; I was at fault and caused the mission to spiral." Kitara listened intrigued at his statement. "What do you mean?" Ichimaru twirled his kunai and stabbed it into the tree.

"Back during the mission to Otogakure I had convinced Kaname that we didn't need the rest of our squad in order to complete the mission that was my first mistake." The young boy stated and looked off toward the enemy camp. "The mission went smoothly and together we were able to easily assassinate the leader of an opposing organization, but I was cocky and impatient. I wanted to prove myself and so I thought that we could take the entire enemy camp. This was my second mistake." He continued raising two fingers for Kitara to see.

"Although we were able to eradicate the enemy Kaname suffered serious injuries, our squad leader was killed, and a group of hostages that I didn't know about were brutally executed." "What!?" Kitara looked at him in shock. She was surprised to say the least. She had heard tales of the mission that ended in a tactical victory but was in truth a strategic loss. Looking over at Ichimaru she felt a sense of pity for the child. His actions caused the death of so many.

"So it was you and Kaname who were the ones who took down the Moshiro organization?" she asked, for clarification. Ichimaru nodded and turned away from the girl. "I had heard about it but it was never revealed who was responsible. This whole time people are thinking it was a group of renegade ninja, and blamed them for the civilian deaths." Ichimaru nodded solemnly and sighed. "Since then I've trained constantly not to make the same mistake but as you can see patience is not one of my strongest traits." He stated simple and narrowed his eyes at the campsite.

Kitara caught Ichimaru's shift in attitude and turned towards the direction of the camp. Her demeanor became serious once more as she began to analyze the situation. "Alright Ichimaru this is it; only three of them are awake now. We should be able to sneak in and assassinate them easily. Are you ready?" Ichimaru's nodded and his Sharingan activates. "Yea let's go."

_Camp near the Kannabe Bridge_

"Hakoushi hand me that kunai and a little bit of wire so I can finish the last of these traps" Kaname stated while she stuck some kunai into the ground. Hakoushi quickly gave her the wire and kunai before looking around at the work she had done in the past few hours. "Kaname don't you think there are more than enough traps set already? What if Ichimaru and Kitara accidently set one off, wouldn't the results be fatal." He asked her in his strong by quiet tone of voice.

Kaname quickly finishes setting her trap and stands up. She points to a chain of trees that were engraved with markings that Hakoushi couldn't recognize. "Those markings are ones that Ichimaru and I have used several times during our training. He will be able to spot it and avoid the traps with ease." She explained and moved towards the center of their camp. Hakoushi was impressed to say the least. Very rarely had he encountered ninja with levels of proficiency as high as Kaname's.

"I see, you two seem as though you are linked." Hakoushi kneelt down and looked over at Kaname as she leaned against a nearby tree. "Yea I guess so. It has been like this since we were children." She replied watching Hakoushi inspect a strange looking insect with his hand. Looking up at the young kunoichi Hakoushi couldn't tell if she was pulling his leg or not. "But you are only ten years old." He stated slightly surprised that she had been training for so long.

Kaname chuckled a bit at his response and smiled. "Yea, but most people don't look at us as children because of what they have heard about us. Ever since we awoke our Sharingan we have been treated as adults. I suppose to our father it was a rite of passage into adult hood." Kaname explained before walking over to Hakoushi. Her intrigue with the various insects he was currently manipulated had gotten the better of her.

"Members of the Aburame Clan also undergo a sort of change for our rite of passage." Hakoushi stated. Kaname listened with rapt attention as she had not known much about the Aburame clan aside from the fact that they like to keep to themselves most of the time. Having time alone with one of its members was a great opportunity for her to learn more about them. "Our rite of passage would be when we become a host for a specific type of insect. Depending on the insect depends on what type of ninja you will become. I was fortunate to be able to possess the same venomous insects as my father and his father before him." Hakoushi stated as he removed his glove to show his purple hand. It was coated in the venomous insects.

"It would seem that the quiet ones are the deadliest." Kaname stated with a sly smirk toward Hakoushi. He returns it with a smile which quickly disappears and his face becomes worried. "Hakoushi, what is it?" Kaname asked as she quickly put her hand to the handle of her sword. The elder ninja took a moment to answer before turning around and looking east of their direction. "It would seem we have some visitors, three male shinobi are headed this way. They aren't wearing any headbands so I can't make a distinction of what country they come from. They are approaching quickly though."

Kaname activates her Sharingan as she wondered how the enemy forces were able to find them so quickly. Taking a deep breath the raven-haired young beauty relaxed and sat on her knees. She began to analyze the situation using everything she knew and factoring in what she didn't. After a bit of thinking she had played several scenarios in her mind and finally came to a conclusion.

"Torune disperse a dense wave of chakra jamming insects around this location. It is possible that the men don't know we are even here. I have a feeling they are merely a patrol group, otherwise they would have approached with more caution. If they are moving so recklessly then it is only a matter of time before they run into one of our traps. For now there is no reason to worry." She spoke calmly but kept her Sharingan activated just in case she was wrong.

As she was talking Hakoushi was already making the necessary preparations. He had been silently transmitting commands to a certain species of insects inside his body. Suddenly the immediate area was covered with insect. As they gathered closer and closer they began to surround both Kaname and Hakoushi. Soon the area seemed as if there was merely a boulder in a clearing of tree, nothing out of the ordinary.

"They will be in the area soon. Kaname, you realize if you have miscalculated and even one of them is a sensory type that had previously detected our location than we are sitting ducks." Hakoushi spoke with slight caution toward the young kunoichi's plan and eagerly awaited her response. Kaname's eyes were closed and she merely began counting, Hakoushi could barely make out the numbers until it became very clear. "… five, four, three, two, one." Soon after she had reached one silence had filled the air. "Did you hear it Hakoushi?" Kaname looked at him and smiled devilishly.

Hakoushi looked at her puzzled. "I didn't hear anything…" Kaname stood up "Exactly" with that response she walked through the pseudo boulder of insects. Once outside she motioned for Hakoushi to follow her lead. He immediately noticed the bodies dangling about the campsite. The remains were mangled and distorted. It was hard to make out which parts went where. "Holy shit. I didn't think you were making such a complex trap. I didn't even know you knew how." Kaname leapt up and cut them down. "It was a trap meant for at least nine people. I was going to save it in case we ambushed.

Hakoushi released his jamming technique as the insect began to enter his body once more. "Kaname. If three members of the patrol don't return won't that raise some suspicion as to where they went?" Kaname nodded in agreement with him. "Let's hope that Ichimaru and Kitara have taken care of things on their end." Kaname looked off into the distance to where the enemy encampment was; silently hoping her brother was ok.

_Encampment_

Ichimaru tackled a long haired shinobi to the ground before turning him over revealing a Iwagakure headband with a long cut on it. "Kitara how's it going on your end?" Ichimaru called out towards the kunoichi who was healing her leg. "I'll be fine the fucker blindsided me when I was covering you." She got up and walked over to the shinobi and landed a solid kick on his jaw. "Ichimaru hurry up with the interrogations we need to get back to Kaname and Hakoushi before the sunrises or else they might think we have died." Kitara looks around out of the breath. "That was more exhausting than I thought." Kitara looked at Ichimaru who hadn't even broken a sweat. Ichimaru lifted the man and tied him to a nearby tree.

"Now this is my favorite part. I'm going to give you a choice. You can either tell us what we need to know and then you will be released or you can refuse and you will be killed" Ichimaru stated to the last remaining shinobi. "Fuck you kid and that kunoichi bitch! You have got to be the dumbest little shit I have ever met! I, Ryu Gekido will die before you get anything out of me!" Ichimaru's signature grin appeared on his face. "I was hoping you would say that." Kitara watches the exchange, she had a weak stomach for torture but after hearing Ryu's outburst she was willing to make an exception.

Ichimaru began to peer into the Ryu's eyes with his Sharingan but he was smart enough to close his eyes. "You think I'm going to get caught in the genjutsu of your Sharingan you have another thing coming!" Ryu stated and a smirk appeared on his face. This was quickly removed with Kitara's punch that she delivered to the side of his head. "Now what are we going to do Ichimaru, if he doesn't open his eyes we can't put him under the genjutsu and extract the intel we need." Ichimaru stood up created about a yard of distance between himself and Ryu. He raised his arms and made a hand sign that Kitara didn't immediately recognize.

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu" Ichimaru whispered and an instant later his body had become limp, Kitara however was quick to catch him as he fell. "So you are able to use that technique." Kitara stated as she realized that the hand sign was specific to the Kekkei Genkai techniques of the Yamanka blood line. She continued to look at the limp for of Ichimaru and took note of how peaceful his face seemed to be. It reminded her just how young the boy was.

After about three minutes in the man's mind Ichimaru returned his consciousness back to his body. "Well, how did it go?" Kitara asked as Ichimaru stood and sighed. "Well I was able to get the information about where the main base is located. Unfortunately my jutsu isn't as strong as my sisters or else I would have been able to dig a lot deeper and discover more. Oh well this will do." Ichimaru informed the female. Making another unfamiliar hand sign in front of Ryu's face Ichimaru pressed his index and middle fingers to the man's temples. "Ninja Art: Mind Destruction Jutsu."

Kitara looked away as the man was basically lobotomized. Putting her hands together into the sign of the ram in order to focus her chakra, she began to search the camp and surrounding area. "It doesn't appear that there are any other encampments in immediate area. There is also nothing of importance at this camp except for extra ninja tools but those will most likely only slow us down." Ichimaru nodded in agreement and the two of them took off heading back towards Kaname and Hakoushi.

Light could be seen breaking the horizon as they reached the Kannabe Bridge hours later as the duo entered the camp area. Hakoushi rose up from lying on his back in. "They are back, right on time." He stated as he began to stand and stretch. Kaname let out a small sigh of relief having taken the second watch of the night. Hakoushi finished getting their supplies and cleaning up the area so that there was no trace they had ever been there. Ichimaru and Kitara landed a few yards away from Kaname.

"Report." Kaname command as soon as their feet touched the ground. Kitara was first to speak and she did so as she had done many times before. "Intel gathered. Enemy has been eliminated. No hostages. One minor injury sustained." Ichimaru stood next to her silent. "Good work, I take it Ichimaru was the one to collect the intel." They both nodded and Ichimaru approached Kaname and she placed a hand on his head. In an instant all of the information that Ichimaru had gained from Ryu his sister also gained. "Alright let's get going." The young kunoichi stated Kitara and Hakoushi stood slightly perplexed at what had just happened...

"How do you know where to go if he hasn't given you any information?" Kitara asked in confusion. Ichimaru and Kaname turned around and smiled at Kitara. "It's a unique trait we inherited from our mother. Whenever we make contact with each other and focus we are able to know what is on the other ones mind and transfer information. Unlike our mother who can send telepathic thoughts from a distance my brother and I have to make physical contact." Kaname explained. Hakoushi listened intently as she explained her traits but she was quickly interrupted by Ichimaru. "As much as I would love to go over every detail of our abilities it would probably be best if we got moving the sun has already risen and we have quite some ways to go."

Leaving the campsite the team walked northwest and stopped as they reach the Kannabe Bridge. Kaname turned to the other three shinobi. "From here on out we will be entering enemy territory. Our destination is just outside the Land of Earth territories. Consider everyone we run into to be a threat. Our mission directives tell us to execute them with extreme prejudice. Alright let's move." Her words were planted into each of their heads. "Yes sir." Ichimaru, Kitara, and Hakoushi all stated in unison, before the team set off again toward the base of the rogue ninja organization.


End file.
